Shadows of Grey
by EEevee
Summary: [challenge fic] Shikamaru runs into someone he had all but forgotten and for good reason. However, opinions can be changed, even if it is troublesome.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Shadows of Grey

**Author**: Eeevee

**Genre**: action/angst

**Rating**: M for explicit violence, mature language, sexual mentions…

**Forewarning**: READ THIS PEOPLE. This will be a DARK fic. Will most likely include the following: yaoi, character death, graphic violence, torture, and possibly lime and/or lemon (doubtful, but you never know).

**Disclaimer**: Again, if I owned Naruto I would happily trade Haku for Sasuke. Oh, and do more with Lee and Hinata because I feel they get the short end of the stick most of the time. Alas, the underdogs shall remain kicked and Sasuke will stay alive. No, I don't own Naruto nor am I making a profit from this (unless you count sadistic enjoyment at stretching the dark part of my muses, which have badly needed exercise since I finished Bitter Sweet Retribution).

Prologue

I wasn't afraid of the shadows. No matter how the lengthened or waned, they were just that: shadows. It wasn't the shadows that could hurt you. Not unless you were afraid of being in perpetual darkness, which I wasn't. Sometimes it felt like my life was just one black void.

For example, right now my life was just too troublesome.

Sandaled feet hit the rough bark with silent scraps and the air was slightly chilly around us. Dusk had passed on into a velvety night of dark lavender and navy blue with slate-colored, flat clouds. Flat clouds never were that good for watching, since they tended not to move much nor hold interesting shapes.

Sometimes I wondered if that was just like my personality: flat and dull.

Leaves whipped my face harshly leaving stinging marks on my skin and deepening my frown. This mission… it reminded me too much of my first mission as a team leader. The one where I almost lost those under my command.

I had vowed to become stronger, if only to protect those who placed trust in me.

But saying is not the same as doing. I still wasn't enthused about getting up before noon, nor about training my skills. I did it; I always did it. But I could never become passionate like Lee or dedicated like Neji; it simply wasn't me.

On a normal day, I would wonder why I was chosen and not one of those two. The lazy, unmotivated genin who had to be shoved in the ring by a super-nosey ninja. The boy who always slept through class and never cared what kind of trouble he got in for it. Someone whom you couldn't even bribe to do training, unlike Chouji who would do anything for an all-you-can-eat dinner out. On someone else's tab of course.

"Shikamaru…"

"Uh, I know." I grunted back, already having anticipated this sort of trap. As long as everyone did what he or she were supposed to, then there shouldn't be any trouble.

Fizzles filled the air, warning of explosive tags that had been wedged on the bark of unsuspecting trees. You could always tell when it was just about to explode because the hissing went really low as the force was building in the tags.

Bark, leave, and other objects rained down like a light mist clinging to my hair and jacket. It got under my fishnet making itchy spot, which I'm sure would be red later on. Gunpowder stung my nose and eyes, but I didn't have time to sigh because the branch I had landed on gave way. Rather than immediately catch myself, I let my body plummet down below the battle zone.

It meant that grabbing and stopping myself would probably make my hands raw and bloody, a reason why I shouldn't have been so lazy when I left this morning, but it would give me an opportunity to get a hold of my bearings as well as my absence breath.

Luck, for once, seemed to be with me. Rather than having to snag a branch as I fell past, I managed to hit one square on. The horrible cracking noise must have been my back, yet I didn't feel any pain. Actually, I didn't feel anything at all, which almost sent me into a panic. Almost.

Once my ears stopped ringing shrilly and I had the use of my arms, I slowly, cautiously probed behind me. I could feel where my jacket had torn straight through leaving useless straps of canvas hanging down and where my fishnet had ripped like ribbons, exposing flesh and muscle to the mercies of the branch. Not that the branch had been particularly merciful with my tender body. My fingers brushed across the mutilated and broken expanse of skin feeling slick, warm blood and soft, crushed epidermis. Worst of all, there seemed to be a bone sticking out. I had never been especially interested in medical knowledge, although I did acknowledge that having a med. Nin on the team would be a priceless asset. However, old traditions were hard to change or revoke, even if the main backer was the Hokage herself. Now I was desperately wishing I knew exactly how many vertebrae were supposed to be in a neat line down my spine and why this one was so wayward.

Maybe that was why I was numb from the waist down.

"Troublesome." I hissed to myself, hoping that at least my team had continued on through the traps without problems. They could always come and pick me up later, after they completed their mission.

Dragging myself with only my upper body proved difficult, and it made me wish I had done those many push-ups Lee had tried to goad me into. Aside from the basics and my shadows, I had no real skill to rely on.

In order for intelligence to be of use, you would have to have a means to carry out your plans. A broken body made it extremely impossible to do anything that involved moving quickly or agility.

There was a horrible scream followed by another. Startled, I stared up only to have burning liquid hit my face, running into my eyes and mouth. It was harsh and coppery. Any ninja easily knew what blood was, and I knew I was drenched in the liquid the moment it touched my skin, staining. There was so much that it really was a crimson rain that coated me, the tree, and various plants below in vivid colors of life. As gruesome as the rain was, I much preferred it to the hail of flesh, muscle, bone, and fabric. Bits of shockingly white bone and glistening muscle bounced and shot down past me while the forest green and navy blue cotton fabric floated on some non-existent wind, unheeding of the former masters' brains that were splattered over it.

Stunned, I didn't make a sound as a trio of shinobi ghosted over me. They hadn't even bothered to look down at the mess they had made, instead, they gloated to each other at the meaningless slaughter they accomplished.

"Did you see that one kid's face? It was fucking hilarious. Bam! Not a clue what hit him at all." The shortest one snickered. "They had no idea what they were dealing with, did they? Who let's their ninjas go into a mission so half-assed? Those Leaf people, they make you wonder what kind of crack they're smoking."

"It seemed, however, that we have won an empty victory. After all, it was achieved over under trained, ambushed children. Aside from that, even adults would have had difficulty extracting themselves from such a flawless and tasteless trap." The only woman of the three spoke up in a dark, sensible voice. "So I hardly think you have room to crow at your prowess."

"It was tasteless but our job wasn't to delay them. We were ordered to annihilate any pursuit by any means deemed necessary. We did that. If it doesn't suit your finicky, honor-bound morals then get on another team. I have yet to fail, nor do I ever intend to."

"Fucking teacher's pet." The first man sneered coarsely, undisguised hatred oozing out of his voice, "Just because you are a favorite and Orochimaru's new body, that doesn't mean you can be such an asshole to us. Weren't those your fucking allies anyway? Yet you blew them to fucking Kingdom Come without a second thought."

The following crack made both myself and the female flinch, and the male ninja rubbed his jaw in disbelief. I hadn't even seen the leader's hand flash to deal out the precise and painful blow to his subordinate.

"I am no one's ally. You'd do well to remember that, idiot."

Something about the voice tickled in my mind. That was Sasuke… Sasuke who had almost gotten us killed before. Sasuke who had turned traitor to the hold village, led by his lust for power and revenge.

I had heard what transpired between him and Naruto, although eavesdropping was not a habit I normally engaged in. In fact, I had just managed to drag myself up to the Hokage's office to return an overdue report on that very mission when I heard Naruto speaking in a low, angry tone. Anger wasn't a foreign emotion to him, but I sincerely doubt he felt rage like he was showing at that time. Even through the door I could hear it plain as day.

"Count them." Sasuke ordered. I could tell that he had matured over the last three years, just as the rest of us had. Black was still his color of choice, which, to be honest, was a relief. Imagining him with a large, lavender belt was slightly mind-damaging. His hair no longer stuck up. Instead, it had lengthened into shaggy locks that fell down around his ears and the knap of his covered neck.

The other two sprung away without complaint, the former lesson still fresh in their minds. As well as the man's jaw in all probability.

It didn't take a genius to know I was screwed.

All it would take was one of them to realize that they were missing a headband…

Sasuke himself paced above me. I drew the shadows from the night around me like a frightened, injured rabbit. Slowly, my fingers unhooked my headband. Despite the significance it held, I would rather lose it than my life. Metal and pride could be replaced with time: body and soul could not.

Letting the smooth cloth slide in my fingers, I got ready to throw it away from me. It was a pathetic ploy with little chance of success, but… but did I mention I was screwed.

Before I even got the chance I felt the branch sway and wiggle beneath me. Since my legs weren't working I had to let go of the headband in favor of using my hands to steady myself. The metal glinted and slid a few feet, resting innocently, caked with blood and gunpowder from the initial rain.

Sasuke prowled down to inspect it. I say prowled because that's what he did. He reminded me of a large, deadly panther intent on a deer, it's prey. Needless to say, it ended rather messily for the deer in question, which did not reassure me in the slightest.

"I found one!" The loud man called, hopping from branch to branch carelessly. He paused and leaned down, peering at Sasuke, "You find another one? Many, those poor bastards really learned to fly, didn't they? Heh."

"Two here. Did they only send four children?" The woman reappeared, glancing down at the metal in her hand dispassionately. Her dark, almost black eyes showed no pity or remorse. Instead, they were dead and lifeless. "How disgraceful."

I watched silently. Air was trapped in my lungs, but I daren't let it out. Not while I was surrounded and vulnerable. Passing out from a lack of oxygen would be far more merciful than being shredded with whatever ambush my team had trigger or facing the dubious compassion of my former classmate.

"We have completed our mission. I will clean up here; you two go ahead." Sasuke ordered in a deep, harsh voice. He flicked my headpiece at the woman and she deftly caught it and tucked it away as proof of their accomplishment.

Like shadows themselves, the two melted away.

"So you survived."

I had to give a half-smirk in response. Trust that bastard to know I was there.

"It would have been easier if you had died like your friends Chouji and Ino." Sasuke said deadpan. His black eyes stared at me without any excess emotion and I remembered why I never liked him. He had always been too full of himself, lacking compassion for others. "Now I will have to finish the job. At least stand and fight for your life rather than hiding in your beloved shadows."

"Heh." I snorted mirthlessly, my mind racing to figure out how I could turn the tables. The problem with night was a distinct lack of light. Those very same flat clouds from before blocked the moon leaving a gray morbidity over the area. Gray shadows. How troublesome. "I wish I could but this is so troublesome."

He glance me over, "You can't."

"Why don't you just finish me now and go back to your master, whipping boy." I managed a full smirk this time. A smirk with plenty of spite and maliciousness packed into my thin, curled lips. I had never favored the thought of a slow, torturous death, although in the back of my mind I accepted the risk that someday that might be my fate. "Otherwise leave me to watch the clouds. I'm sure some wild animal will find me a tasty snack eventually. Have you seen any panthers around here? I hear there's a man-eater in this forest."

He took a step forward and I studiously ignored him. Instead I studied the flat, gray clouds, wishing that maybe, for once, my personality had been white and fluffy. Then maybe more than just my parents would attend my funeral.

The sudden movement made me flinch as Sasuke bent down and flipped my slender body over. He inspected my back with the same listless expression, peeling back the shreds of clothing and skin with equal apathy.

"Your spine is broken."

Thank you for confirming the fact that my life was now useless. Kill me now.

I knew his hands were on me, yet I couldn't actually feel him. His firm, toned body was pressed against my upper back and shoulders for better balance. All I had to do was shift and throw him off balance. But suddenly fighting back just seemed so… troublesome.

His rough hands hit my side and shoved me up towards him. Suddenly I was in a very embarrassing position with my ass in the air for the world to view and his ass in my face for me to admire. The tight pants really wanted to make me advert my eyes.

"What…"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked, wondering why exactly I was getting a scenic tour on my way to the torture chambers. I couldn't think of any other reason I would be carted off, alive. The suicide capsule that I always kept, just in case, pressed against the back of my left ear. All I needed was a chance to rectify my mistake; the mistake of allowing myself to be captured by the enemy.

"For murdering your comrades." He murmured, easily carrying my weight despite his lean, short form. While his body had matured, it sure hadn't gotten much taller. "And for what I plan to do with you in the future."

A/N: Another challenge fic. M now, may become NC-17 and moved to a different site at a later date. Written to Audio Slave, The Rasmus, and Drowning Pool, my brother's "gaming" (aka killing things) music.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

I woke up in a very uncomfortable position. The muscles in my arms were screaming for relief as they held up my suspended body. Most of my clothing and weapons had been stripped from me and were lying in a bloody pile on the floor. The air was dank and musty, clogging up my lungs and making me choke.

"Ah, so you're awake." A voice greeted me. I squinted my eyes almost shut and tried to roll my head back. All I got for my trouble was a hollow thunk on the board I was hung against. Without it I was sure that it would be more than just my arms that were distressed. Charming.

A familiar figure came towards me making my heart pause.

Kabuto with a scalpel was not a particularly comforting sight to see when you were chained with no escape. I recalled a little too much about him from the exams and the rumors floating around.

Deciding staring at my tormentor with a slack look was useless, I glared around the room I was in. It was a stereotypical madman's laboratory basically. The light was low and inadequate giving a claustrophobic feel. Chemicals lined shelves neatly labeled and ready for use. Dangerous blades and needles glinted from neat little lines on trays and an icebox was nestled in the corner.

Unless there were hidden passageways, there was only one obvious exit. It was ajar, as if not expected to actually hold anyone in, and rather practical, if flimsy.

Kabuto noticed my looking and smirked, "You should not be thinking of leaving us so soon. We have so much to talk about. Sorry, no tea, but I am sure repairing your spine should be enough, you agree?"

There was only one reason I could think of why he would heal me: to torment me later. I doubt they would bother to offer me a place in Orochimaru's ranks. Not because they thought I would refuse, but simply because I would be of no use to them. By now I would have been declared missing, possibly even dead by the village. When they found the carnage and missing headbands I would be written off as one of those who died serving my village. Ghosts did not infiltrate very well. And even if I managed to infiltrate, I would be under heavy servaliance and restriction. I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to put a returned missing nin back in the middle of it all. There were many controlling jutsus, and when that failed, there was always torture.

So, logically, the only use I had was information.

"I am afraid this will hurt slightly." The silver haired young man told me with a smile on his face. Needles infused with chakra were pounded into various points of my body making me instinctively writhe and grit my teeth at the intrusion. The foreign chakra devoured my cells like a firestorm leaving ashes in its wake.

He gave an apologetic head bow, "Although your jutsus are quite impressive, I am afraid they would not be well-tolerated during your stay. I simply neutralized them by blocking off the nerves that control your chakra. It is still there, you simply will not be allowed to access it."

Bastard.

"Heh, now sit still. Resetting vertebrae is a tricky thing to do. Actually, I have never done it myself, but I have heard of fairly successful cases done by master surgeons. Unfortunately for you, I do not quite have the patience of such great men, even if I do have the skill. I suggest praying or pleading to your choice deity."

How reassuring, I thought to myself dryly, feeling apathy steal up on me. The black void expanded around me, caressing with velvet silence and blissful darkness. Even though I couldn't see the clouds, I closed my eyes to imagine them. They floated innocently behind my lids as Kabuto played with my broken doll body.

He was so close that I could feel his navy clothing brush against the sensitive skin on my stomach and navel. The sour smell of death and torture clung to him like an identity. This was mixed with more curious scents of various chemicals and places he frequented.

Even in a half-meditative state, the scream that tore out of me left my throat raw. It didn't stop me from refilling my lungs and screaming again and again as Kabuto slammed the bones together. The nerves connecting my lower back to my brain were howling in agony, sending flaming messages of unbearable pain on an overload. I couldn't stop screaming. I couldn't even think of stopping my screaming because my mind was filled to the brim with pain. It was almost numb from the barrage of abuse. There was just pain and more pain.

Suddenly something warm pressed over my open mouth blocking the noise belting out from my voice box. The hot air puffed out my cheeks and burned at my raw throat as it was held in.

"You said you could heal him." A dark voice grated with accusation.

Happy for some relief, I mindless sank my teeth into whatever held my screams in. I could feel the bones crunch and slide beneath my jaw's power. My head snapped from the force of the blow to the side of my jaw. Reluctantly, I loosened my grip but didn't let go. This time I could feel the individual knuckles grinding into my cheek. Determined, with a little bit of motivation for the first time in my short life, I locked my jaw.

"I said I would try. They are not the same thing, Sasuke." Kabuto teased, "And now I am going to have to treat your hand as well. That is what gags are for… unless you wanted to be bitten?"

"So is he fixed yet?" Sasuke growled impatiently and I wished I had bitten him harder. Of course, the fact that I still had the side of his hand wedged in my mouth occurred to me but I was focused on what Kabuto was doing now. His touch was making my skin crawl as it ghosted down towards my buttocks.

"Do not pretend that fixing a human body is as simply as smashing one. Humans are fragile creatures with very complex bodies. I have put the bone back in place and connected a few of the nerves, but I will not know how successful my probes are until tomorrow. The muscle tissues are in fairly good condition and…" His palm brushed across my thigh making me arch away from him, "He can quite obviously feel some things. Right Shikamaru?"

My pride flared up enough for me to glare, but that was it.

"If you do not mind my curiosity, why do you want him healed? Is he not a shinobi from your former village, therefore our enemy? Torture is effective even if you simply have the upper body to use. For example, peeling off fingernails can be extremely painful, especially if you place hot wax on the bleeding beds and reseal them. You must know this after the time you have spent in Orochimaru's company. Yet you wish him to walk?"

"I'm not going to let him escape, if that is your fear." Sasuke cut him off curtly. He leaned against the table with a suspicious look in his dark eyes. Anger was written in his frown, "And what I use him for is none of your concern."

"If you need a release, may I suggest safer bedmates? Ones that do not bite in any case." Kabuto purred maliciously. He went to rinse his blood soaked hands and wiped them dry on a towel.

"What I use him for is none of your concern." Sasuke repeated. If the jab bothered him any, he didn't show it.

Just what did he want me for?

"As long as it is not out of some misplaced sense of guilt." Kabuto continued, methodically tidying up his tools. I could feel the chakra needles digging into my muscles, restoring blood flow to the damaged areas.

"When will you be done?" The prodigy demanded coldly. He glared with black eyes at the older man, forcing the answer he wanted. If anything, he had grown more spoilt.

Kabuto gave a mock sigh, "The youth of today are so impatient. Did I not already tell you not until tomorrow? His body is going to finish my work for me with my chakra needles guiding and directing it. After that, if you truly want him to move his lower body proficiently, he will have to relearn how to direct it. The nerves have lost all their "memory" so to speak. Prepare to deal with an adult infant."

"Fine. Leave."

"As you wish." Kabuto said with a mock bow. The two locked eyes before the older man retreated from the room. He didn't bother to shut the door behind him, as if to prove he wasn't eavesdropping.

"Hey," I managed to drawl lazily. I didn't bother to mask my utter hatred for the fact I was tussled up like a piece of meat, stripped of any dignity I had, and running bloody streams down the back of my naked legs. Oh, and for the one I blamed for putting me here.

"You haven't changed." Sasuke remarked.

"You haven't changed much either." I replied lightly, "You're as brooding as ever."

"You aren't going to ask."

"Why should I care? This whole mess is just troublesome." I retorted, physically exhausted from the pain and screaming. My body slumped down even further and I didn't have the energy to pull myself up. If my arms ripped from their sockets, well, they could just heal those too.

He leaned in close to me until our noses were almost touching. His dark eyes bore into mine with a feverish determination. I'd have looked away if I had enough strength to turn my head. Whatever selfish desire, whatever feel-good he was looking for, he wouldn't find it in my eyes. Because I intended to either escape or die trying. I had no pity or sympathy or gratitude for a traitor such as him. The only things I could offer were resentment and contempt.

"You're smarter than him; I'm sure you can figure out any possible reason why I would keep someone so worthless around." Sasuke told me silkily with underlying threat.

"Even a bastard's black heart needs some salve?" I commented darkly, not caring anymore. Maybe I could goad him into killing me, although I wasn't particularly good at name-calling. Sometimes, the truth was more effective than names. "Your need for revenge has turned you unfeeling and focused. You have alienated your former friends and allies and taken the hand of a devil, solely for your own gain. Even knowing the price of your decision and the price of your failure, you offer up your body like some eager, sacrificial virgin to a satanic god. Trying to retrieve you from your own stupidity almost cost Neji, Lee, Chouji, and Naruto their precious lives. You murdered Ino and Chouji in a cold-blooded trap that one wouldn't even butcher animals in. Why should I even ask why you want me? Your guilty conscious must be screaming in an isolated hell of white noise. So, keep me as your boy-toy, I don't care."

He went from shocked to grim to smug, "That Devil is one hell of a teacher." His face hovered closer to mine, teasing, and his longer strands of black hair brushed against my eyelashes and cheeks. His lips ghosted across mine and a tongue flicked out for good measure, leaving a tingling sensation behind. Sasuke rested his chest snuggly against mine so I could feel his breaths and heartbeat while his knee pushed insistently between my inner thigh, "Would you like a demonstration, whore?"

I gave him a look of deep apathy, as if he weren't affecting me at all with his seduction. I'm sure my body called my bluff.

He reached down and pinched.

Purely out of reflex, my left knee shot up and just happened to nail him right where he deserved it. Luckily for him and disappointing for me, my leg muscles obviously needed to go back to kindergarten to learn to kick harder.

"'Ey, Sasuke, we've got a mis—woah." I glanced up to see one the Sasuke's murderer companions. It was the one who had been laughing at Chouji. His crew cut made his hair look sparse and almost greasy, and judging by the expression on his face, violence and gore weren't the only things that turned him on. "Sweet. Where'd you pick him up? Uh, unless he's one of Kabuto's playthings." The man gestured to the surrounding room and the pool that had crusted at my feet from the "surgery."

"Get out." Sasuke snarled, turning on him.

"Just don't get pussy-whipped man, because then I would have to think less of you." The lackey sneered crudely, raping me with his eyes. "And don't pamper him too much; it makes them whores soft where it counts."

"Get out." This time Sasuke punctuated his command with a well-aimed kunai throw. The metal knife flew straight and stuck into the door by the man's head. He still threw out a lopsided grin and scuttled off laughing manically.

"Oh yeah, much better than Naruto."

Sasuke turned and lashed out. I tumbled down with the chains still latched firmly around my wrists. The heavy manacles pulled down my sore arms so that they hung down loosely. Training dictated that I automatically landed in a semi-operable crouch. A feat that would have worked much better if I actually had legs to support it. Instead I crumpled into a heap.

I didn't protest when he jarred the charka needles in order to sloppily cover me up or when he dragged me into a more comfortable position on the floor.

I was tired. I was cranky. And this was beyond merely troublesome.

"Listen," Sasuke hissed at me urgently, "Either you can behave or I can give you to my subordinate there. Koji would enjoy having a young man to share his bed."

"I'm sure he would." I sighed back. "As long as it's not me."

The other boy quickly shoved two fingers in my mouth. He must have forgotten what happened to his hand earlier. The bitter taste of pills hit my tongue making me gag and choke until they were down. The aftertaste made me want to drink something alcoholic. Very intoxicating and very potent. It would help my situation anyhow.

Sitting up, I tried to shove him away and draw my protection closer around me. The world spun and I found myself blinking profusely. The world swum and colored up in ways I knew it shouldn't have.

"Wha… wha… you give me?" I forced out with a thick, fuzzy tongue. All my aches and pains melted together into one giant warm-fuzzy.

"Relax. It was a painkiller and a sedative." Sasuke informed me dryly. "I don't plan on poisoning you, and I don't want you kicking around when I put you to bed." Before I could protest, he scooped me up easily. "After all, I'm not done with you yet."

A/N: I forgot to mention there are slight spoilers for the manga. This is running parallel to current events (ie Naruto and Sakura are busy right now X.X;;). 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Two

My lids stuck together as I rolled my eyes around to wake up. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of those miraculous people who shot up first thing in the morning and was ready to face the day. Like everything else, I tended to take my sweet time waking up.

I took even longer today. In fact, I dreaded waking up into the nightmare I remembered from the day before. The whole room I was in felt alien and the bed I was laying on was not my own. I didn't sense Sasuke's presence outright like I should have, which annoyed me. Maybe I had become useless or perhaps he had gone to a level reserved for S-class criminals, to which my puny skills couldn't even compare.

"Are you going to wake up or not?" Sasuke finally snapped. I yawned without opening my eyes and tried to roll over. That didn't work too well. Especially when your captor construes your actions as insolent and grabs you. "If not, I will just have to ensure your consciousness myself."

Suddenly I was hefted in the air yet again. It wasn't any less humiliating than the first time. By the time I got my eyes completely open, I was falling. My butt hit very cold, very hard porcelain. Then a stream of ice-cold water washed over me making me jerk and curse. I hate cold showers.

"Clean up." Sasuke commanded, "It's bad enough I have to wash my sheets without smelling you too."

"Are you going to clean my clothing too or just outfit me with a dog collar?" I snapped back, now sitting in a puddle of cold, dirty water. My clothing sagged under the weight and clung to my skin. So much for being waterproof.

He started to walk out and I called to his back, "Hey! I can't do this alone."

He stopped and turned with a slight smirk, "So whom exactly were you showering with before then?"

My mouth snapped closed.

"I thought as much. Take your time; you've got plenty of it while I'm gone on a mission today." He added with a touch of sarcasm.

'I don't get it! I'm a genius not a psychologist!' That's what I wanted to scream. Instead I watched as a clean towel arched from the hallway and landed neatly just out of my reach. Bastard, he did that on purpose.

That was how I found myself struggling just to get out of my shredded pants. No matter how hard I tugged, they seemed to get tangled in my dead legs. True, I had feeling now, but that didn't matter much when I had no coordination or muscle strength to go with it. I'd say this was giving me negative points.

I hissed in irritation as my shin banged against the heavy rim for the second time. Who got bruises taking a shower? Even so, no matter how troublesome I considered it, I scrubbed every inch of my body thoroughly. I wanted to wash away the blood and gore that caked my body. I very much doubt that Ino and Chouji would like me to keep a part of them with me that way. Aside from that, there were spots that got extra attention. The places where Kabuto touched my skin were special hot spots that deserved to be rubbed raw. I forced myself to stop before they started bleeding, but I still did not feel clean enough.

Turning off the chilly spray of liquid that was still beating down was hard enough. It was placed at waist level so I had to prop myself up on the side, without impaling myself over it, and reach for the knob. A very old, cranky knob.

Exhausted, I collapsed in the draining water. I couldn't even begin to imagine how to drag myself out of the large tub. It was just beyond my capabilities at the moment. Instead I leaned back gingerly and listened to my stomach complain.

I knew for a fact that I had been stripped of anything useful long before. Kabuto probably confiscated it in one of his many cabinets. Even my suicide capsule was gone. Luckily it wasn't anything too special, just the standard issue. It does make you wonder about our chances of success though. I simply couldn't believe that the Hokage would purposely send us on a mission with a low success rate. Rather, I tend to see some dirty politics and wondered who originally asked the mission to be done.

Shaking my head, the puzzle pieces just didn't fit. Or at least not with the little information I had in my possession. There was no need to have a headache in addition to all of my other pains, so I simply concentrated on trying to get out.

It took five minutes for me to consider that I might just be trapped until someone pulled me out. It was like a spider in a porcelain sink. The smooth sides curved downward, slick with cold water and grit from my body. My blunt nails scrapped idly down the sides as I churned ideas in my mind for getting out. I didn't need some elaborate plan with pulleys and winches; I just needed something serviceable so I could go back to the nap I had been ripped from. Or at least get dry and pass out on the thin bathroom rug that covered the tile floor.

Needless to say, I was more than frustrated by the time Sasuke reentered with a pair of clean, if dubiously serviceable, clothing. He leaned against the wall with his left hip looking down at me with amusement glittering in dark eyes. I loathed the fact that he would sit there and have that holier-than-thou smirk on his smooth face, and I loathed the fact that I was going to have to beg. Yes, beg. My pride was screaming in agony at the mere thought.

Just as I convinced my mouth to open, I had to slam it shut. Sasuke had decided he had enough gloating because he strode over and hefted me out with one arm supporting my back and the other tucked up neatly behind my knees. My body toppled down to tuck against his chest, making the material of his shirt wet and sticky.

"I could have done that myself." I snapped after he dumped me on the floor. Grabbing the towel and trying to hide the dark splotches creeping across my pale skin, I rubbed vigorously at the beads of water. It was almost as if I made them go away, then just maybe my other problems would rub away as well.

"You were taking too long. I cannot allow it to be said my new toy drown himself while I was away, now can I? It would be a challenge to my competence and authority." Sasuke said with a hint of dark humor in his tone. "And you would look rather desperate. Perhaps it would do the opposite; perhaps it would strengthen my reputation as a vicious taskmaster. We all know the weak will bow out."

I huffed in distain, "Who's to say you didn't just murder me?"

"So you want me to gain reputation? How considerate of my new toy." He purred.

I stared at him with flat eyes. More than just his looks had changed. I always thought he was a little off since his clan was massacred. Normal people weren't such overachieving perfectionists. Normal people didn't sacrifice their life to some blind cause with such disregard to the comforts and pleasures in life. Yes, he had always been too serious for my tastes, but he had at least shown his barriers.

Now it seemed he had turned into a coward and hid behind cruel wit.

Words and teases were weapons of choice rather than blades. They were weapons he had learned to use well and guarded him like faithful nin dogs. They prowled in his throat and the tip of his tongue, eager to be loosed, eager to please their master. These words would tear and rip at any target at the flick of his tongue.

"I'm not your toy. If nothing else, I am a former comrade, one who went through a lot of troublesome actions on your behalf." I commented, trying to sound apathetic, as if there wasn't rage boiling at that injustice. Our help, our lives, which we put on the line to get him back, they were scorned and tossed aside. "Treat me with more respect than you would one of your little subordinates you fuck senseless and leave in a puddle of blood."

"At least they are useful to me."

I snorted, pulling on the shirt first. The soft cloth rustled and pressed gently against my skin. Without looking up, I reached for the pants. When they wouldn't slide towards me I growled and pulled. Still not retrieving them, I hissed a soft 'let go.' Suddenly the tension went slack and I went about trying to cover my bottom half.

It was difficult to both work my baby half and listen to Sasuke's pathetic words, so I chose to deal with the more important issue.

"I'm not interested in your sob story." I told him sharply, giving the material a tug over my left foot. It caught on my toe and pulled until I unhooked it. "In my opinion, the village and the Hokage and your teammates were far too forgiving of your trespasses. Forced salvation never succeeds. It seems to me like you enjoy your sins far too much to ever live a life as a decent ninja. Instead you want to be the best, the strongest, the most powerful. Ethics and friendship are nothing more than walls to be knocked down. They were in your way, so you destroyed them. It must be nice to have a world all about you."

Sensing danger, I looked up just in time to take a fist to the face. It took me by surprise and knocked me flat. Uncrossing my eyes, the first thing I noticed was the lack of smirk. In fact, his lush lips were twisted in rage as he stood over me with fists clenched.

"So you're objecting?" I sneered, spitting out some blood from where I bit the inside of my cheek. "Please, enlighten me. Justify yourself. Validate your reasons."

"It's none of your business." He said intently in a low, warning whisper. I almost thought he was going to strike me again. Instead he swooped down and grabbed the pants, and in the process almost tore off my lower legs. "Even the most useless of things can have a purpose. Your purpose doesn't involve a tongue."

"Oh, so no blowjobs? Good, because those are troublesome."

I expected to be hit for my cheeky insolence, but instead he stared down at me. I wondered what was going on in his mind as he looked down. Rather than show it, I simply tried to put on the rest of the provided clothing. It was slow and my muscles jerked in pain when I accidentally twisted the wrong way or caught on something.

"What?" I finally asked, calm and quiet. It never took me long to collect myself, no matter the rage or injustice that had riled me. It was just too much effort to hold onto such a writhing, thrashing, hot creature.

"Nothing."

"Sure." I muttered, finally completely dressed, "If it's nothing you can help me up, without punching me might I add. I'm not named Naruto, your personal punching bag."

Suddenly a palm was shoved under my nose. I studied it for a moment, as if the whorls and creases in the skin could divine Sasuke's intent towards me. An impatient shake made me latch on and scramble madly to get to my feet.

Tottering, I used the wall and the tub to catch myself.

Sasuke's nickname as a child should have been 'Impatient'. I couldn't begin to imagine how he spent long, dark nights plotting revenge and waiting for his chance to come. He didn't seem to even want to give me the chance to stagger out of the room myself. No, instead he had to grab my waist and clink us together. His strong fingers pressed into my hips and a stubborn concentrate was mirrored in his face.

I resented his help.

So why was I leaning on his shoulder, equally concentrating?

When we were close enough, he shrugged me hastily off onto his bed. He was right about the sheets; they had been stripped and taken away. Secretly I was relieved. Dealing with the gore and carnage had been bad enough in my nightmares, and I didn't need to relive it now. Even so, I wanted to climb back into scalding hot water to wash away the images, the memories that clung like tar and super glue.

I remembered as a child gluing Chouji's fingers together, and it was not entirely by accident. He had probably done some perceived slight and I retaliated. Of course, as amusing as it was to see him trying to pull them apart, it wasn't nearly so fun to be torn up and down for doing it by two sets of parents. And then there was the apology. How I loath apologizing. Something I had in common with Sasuke.

He was staring at me again. Was I really that fascinating? Even if I was, did he have to be leaning in that closely?

Well, he could just watch me fall over backward and stare up at the ceiling. I didn't care what he wanted; I just didn't care. There was no reason on earth why I should care. He was nothing to me. He was my enemy. He was a traitor and I was his captive. It was black and white, so why was I trying to introduce some gray? Monotony held an appeal for a good reason. It was uncomplicated.

"Sasuke, hurry up." The voice was still a good distance away, but the tone made it very clear the voice's owner was on her way and in a hurry. It took a few seconds before the woman entered, without knocking. She glanced at them with disinterest, "We need to go."

Sasuke reluctantly got up and met her gaze with an angry glare. She only shrugged at him and walked back out.

"We will finish this discussion. Later." He promised and I gave a lazy smile purely to piss him off, "Sure. If I'm not asleep."

He gave me a piecing look, "You won't be."

A/N: Enjoy. Thank the beta. Snort-er, drink coke.

utoto: The challenge was issued by fyyrrose. It's really simple: somehow, someway, I had to give Sasuke and Shika a relationship, implied or otherwise. Since she was having issues deciding who would be the uke, I decided to solve that problem too -

Fyyrrose: only the poor, pathetic readers like you who haven't caught up with the manga! Yes, making them a couple would be an injustice to Useless-turned-Somewhat-Useful. But I love that fluff! My fluff bites, literally (points to Mayfly Fantasy)...  
that was fluff, right? No more terrifying people on the bus, okay? And now I'll never be able to hear the word 'miniskirt' without laughing again!


End file.
